3 Essential Tips For Bottle Feeding

Irrespective of whether you are a first time mom or not, the process of bottle feeding requires extra care and attention.

Giving a bottle feeding with formula milk comes with few concerns, crucial ones being hygiene and safety.

3 Essential Tips For Bottle Feeding Baby:

Your baby may be only on bottle feed or a mixed feed (bottle plus breast), it is critical to follow few precautions while preparing and feeding your infant via bottle. Below mentioned are 3 essential baby bottle feeding tips, that have to be kept in mind while engaging in bottle feeding basics:

1. Preparing The Formula Milk:

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The first step is to follow the instructions strictly as listed on the tin with formula. Preparation of formula has to be exercised with care.

Always use pure and filtered water for mixing the formula. The water used directly affects the quality of the feed, as most bacterial and viral infections can spread through water.

The milk prepared should be perfectly balanced. D

iluted feed doesn’t give enough nutrition while the excessively thick one can cause complications like kidney infections or dehydration.

Never add extras like cereals or oats to the feed. These will cause your baby to choke.

Always check the temperature of the feed before giving to your baby. Make sure it is lukewarm and not hot.

Check the expiration date on the pack of the formula. You may end up buying old stock sometimes which is unsafe to use.

[ Read: Infant Formula ]

2. Feeding Your Baby:

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You might think that this is a piece of cake, but feeding your baby is also an art. Care has to be taken the way you hold the bottle and feed. Here are few important tips:

Hold the bottle in an angular position, so that your baby sucks the nipple in a comfortable way taking in adequate quantities.

Do not leave the bottle as your baby takes the feed. Your overconfidence can lead to baby choking, develop dental infections as formula accumulates near the teeth.

Position the bottle properly, as ear infections may occur if the milk enters baby’s ears.

Do not microwave an old formula. This is a very bad idea. Bacteria and other foreign bodies may pile on the inner lining of the bottle when kept for long periods. Best would be to throw it away and prepare a fresh feed.

[ Read: How To Store Formula Milk ]

3. Hygiene Measures With Bottle Feeding Equipment:

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Needless to say, a healthy bottle feed mostly depends on the cleanliness of the equipment used while preparing the formula. Below are few pointers to ensure the same:

Check the bottles and nipples thoroughly before buying. Do not buy stock whose seal is open or the nipples are cracked.

Sterilizing all the bottles and nipples are very important. Do this on a daily basis.

Do not carry formula in an insulated storage, as this cause bacterial build up. Preparing fresh is always a better idea.

If your baby does not finish the entire feed on one go, throw the leftover contents.

Throw away the old bottles after few months. It is advisable to buy new bottles and nipples every four months.

Breastfeeding is best advised for the first six months of your baby’s life. However, bottle feed or mixed feed have also become necessary due to individual scenarios and lifestyle choices. In such a case, make sure the precautions listed above are followed while introducing the formula milk to your baby.

[ Read: Breastfeeding vs Formula Feeding ]

What measures do you take to ensure safe and hygienic bottle feed for your darling? Do share your tips for bottle feeding with other parents in the comment section below.